From loud, drunk passengers to on-board brawls, airplane behavior can be less than ideal. Now, that type of behavior may get you banned from flying throughout the United Kingdom. It’s part of a new proposal the United Kingdom’s Department of Transport is floating around. The rule would put problem passengers on a nationwide travel ban list. The proposal is already sparking debate on social media.
Could People Get Banned from Flying Due to Bad Behavior?
Right now, if an airline bans a passenger, it can rebook them on another flight. But this new proposal would put them in a national database, preventing them from flying within the United Kingdom. The airline and the government would oversee the list.
Right now, it’s unclear how the plan would work under GDPR or current data protection laws. Under current GDPR rules, sharing passenger details is not allowed.
A government source tells the BBC, “Everyone should be able to enjoy a pint at the airport, but antisocial behavior on flights is totally unacceptable.” That type of behavior threatens the safety of the passengers and crew.
As you might expect, the buzz around the new proposal has people talking. On Reddit, reactions seem mixed, with some people agreeing that action is needed while others question its legality.
Here’s a quick look at some of the comments:
“While banning passengers is a good idea, this mechanism has serious due process issues–a private company should not get to determine whether someone should suffer such a drastic consequence unilaterally. So, addition to a list like this should be based on a criminal conviction, not the word of a company about ‘disruptiveness.'”
“Flying is a privilege, not a right; if you can’t behave yourself on a flight or in an airport, you should be permanently prevented from even being able to book one in the first place so the rest of the passengers and crew don’t need to be subjected to your awful behavior…”
“I have been saying this for years, people need to be put on no-fly lists if they cannot behave in airports or on flights.”
“This is an insane abuse of power. Airlines already routinely treat passengers like cattle, and now they will ban you for life if you don’t take it meekly like a sheep?”
A Trend of More Passengers Behaving Badly
In the United States, there have been 687 reports of unruly passengers so far this year.
Previous Statistics also showed that unruly passenger behavior increased during the pandemic. While numbers have dropped since then, they remain almost double from pre-pandemic levels.
The bad behavior runs from being verbally abusive to flight attendants to being physically abusive. An American Airlines flight had to turn around last year after a passenger tried to drag a flight attendant down the aisle.
The FAA has a zero-tolerance policy for unruly behavior. Punishments can range from jail time if the incidents are referred to the FBI and lead to a felony conviction. Unruly passengers can also face fines of up to $43,000 and may affect their TSA PreCheck eligibility.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jun 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.